Turbine meter for bi-directional measurement of fluid flow

Abstract

A multi-bladed turbine meter is in a fluid flow line and has two magnetic pick-ups at the periphery of its blade tips positioned to be pulsed at different times by each blade as each blade passes the pick-ups. A circuit is connected to both pick-ups to determine which pick-up is pulsed first and to register the volume of fluid which is passed through the meter in each direction.

The invention, having been described, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system measuring the flow of fluids in a single path in either of the two directions along the path, including, a turbine meter with a plurality of metallic blades rotating in a plane normal the path and each blade positioned to provide a cross-section at an angle to the plane of rotation,   a first magnetic pick-up unit mounted at the periphery of the blade tips to generate a first output pulse as each blade tip cuts the magnetic lines of force established by the unit,   a second magnetic pick-up unit mounted at the periphery of the blade tips and in an alignment with the first unit to form an angle with the blade cross-section, whereby the second magnetic pick-up unit generates a second output pulse at a time different than the generation of the first output pulse as each blade tip cuts the magnetic lines of force established by the second unit,   electronic gates connected to the pick-ups to receive the train of pulses from both pick-ups,   a sensing circuit connected to the pick-ups and gates to control which gate will pass the pick-up pulses,   and a counter connected to the gates to accumulate the pulses in the manner dependent upon which direction the turbine meter blades rotate.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 in which, each turbine blade is also positioned to provide a cross-section at an angle to the fluid flow path,   and the two magnetic pick-up units are mounted at the periphery of the blade tips and in alignment parallel the fluid flow path.   
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 in which, a conduit is provided in which the rotating blades are mounted and through which the fluids flow to rotate the blades,   and the pick-up units are mounted in a single cavity of the conduit wall and at the periphery of the blade tips.   
     
     
       4. A read-out system for a turbine flow meter, including, a turbine meter with rotating metallic blades wherein each tip with an angled cross-section cuts the lines of magnetic fields established at their periphery,   two magnetic pick-up units mounted at the periphery of the turbine meter blade tips establishing fields of magnetic lines of force in the arrangement wherein a first of the units is pulsed by each blade tip cutting the field of its lines of force before the second of the units is pulsed by the same blade tip cutting the field of its lines of force,   electronic gates connected to the pick-up units to receive the train of pulses from each unit,   a phase sensing circuit connected between the pick-up units and the gates and arranged to control the gate output of pulse trains representative of fluid flow in a predetermined direction through the meter,   and a counter connected to the gates and arranged to manifest the pulse trains as a quantitative fluid flow through the turbine meter in dependence upon the predetermined direction of the fluid flow through the meter.   
     
     
       5. The system of claim 4 including, a conduit for the turbine meter in which the rotating blades are mounted,   a cavity in the conduit in which the pick-up units are mounted at the periphery of the turbine meter blade tips, and   the arrangement of pick-up units and blade tips is that the cross-section of the blade tips is at an angle to the plane of blade rotation and the axis of blade rotation and the units are aligned so the blade cross-section will cut the alignment of the units at an angle.